THE 5TH ANNUAL BIG SALE

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1 The Masthead The newsletter of Mayflower United Church of Christ 2900 County Barn Road, Naples, FL Telephone: (239) or Website: www. mayflowernaples.com February 2018 IT S HERE! Final set-up Thursday and Friday, February 1 st and 2 nd 10:00 am to 4:00 pm THE 5 TH ANNUAL BIG SALE Saturday, February 3 rd 8:00 am to 1:00 pm ASH WEDNESDAY PRAYER Merciful God, you called us forth from the dust of the earth; you claimed us for Christ in the waters of baptism. Look upon us as we enter these Forty Days bearing the mark of ashes, and bless our journey through the desert of Lent to the font of rebirth. May our fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a making of peace; our prayer, the chant of humble and grateful hearts. Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers Ash Wednesday Service at 7:00 pm, February 14 th Celebration on Sunday, February 11 th Special Music Special And a time to celebrate our blessings by giving back! begins Thursday, February 15 th at 2:00 pm

2 To our church family...we want to thank you for the wonderful support following Bill s death. The heartfelt cards and remembrances were such a comfort to us. The family of Bill Peters To all who have kept me in their prayers and sent lovely cards and notes following my mother s death thank you! We often refer to Mayflower as being like family and you all have shown the love and caring that a family provides. - Deanna MEETING NEEDS My neighbor s material needs are my spiritual needs, said 19 th -century theologian Israel Salanter. In other words, when someone else suffers hunger and poverty, when people endure a natural disaster and lack shelter, when another human being is sick or injured in all such cases, God calls us to action. And God knows that whatever we do to meet those material needs will meet our spiritual needs at the same time. It might be our spiritual need to expand our horizons into neighborhoods, cultures or situations where we re uncomfortable. We might need to grow in love for people different from us. By serving others, we might find our own sagging spirits nurtured with a sense of well-being or even joy. And as we reach out to help, surely we ll notice others doing the same thing, and our spiritual need for renewed faith will be met. Heidi Mann WHAT DO I HAVE? What do I have, Lord, that you would need me as a servant? Eyes, he said, to see the beauty in all that I ve made and my children as they travel life s highway. Hands, he said, to reach out and touch hurting souls, to give a hug or encouraging pat on the back. Feet, he said, to lead my children through this world of strife and to help them run from sin and follow me. Mouth, he said, to lift up your voice and sing praises to me so others may hear the joy in your heart. Ears, he said, to listen to my still, small voice of love and to hear my children when they cry for help. Heart, he said, so you may know the full love of my Spirit and love my children as I have loved you. Thomas Butler IN AWE OF GOD A feel-good gospel is attractive but not transformative, writes Michael Yaconelli in Dangerous Wonder (NavPress). The nice, nonthreatening God needs to be replaced by the God whose very presence smashes our egos into dust, burns our sin into ashes, and strips us naked to reveal the real person within. A healthy, childlike fear should make us more in awe of God than we are of our government, our problems, our doctrines and agendas, or any of our other earthly concerns. Yaconelli urges Christians to become people whose God is big and holy and frightening and gentle and tender and ours; a God whose love frightens us into his strong and powerful arms where he dares to hold us in his terrifying, loving presence.

3 Thank you so much for all you do to help make Mayflower Church a loving, thriving place to worship. As we start 2018, with God s guidance let us work together to make Mayflower strong with our commitment to serve in stewardship to the very best of our abilities. Each of us brings our own personal talents of stewardship through our church doors each Sunday and we share these with God and Mayflower. Scripture teaches us that the measure we give is the measure we will receive. Luke 6.38:... give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Our pledge to God and to our church is one of the most important decisions we make. Whatever we do, we need to work at it with all our hearts because we are working for the Lord. This is the secret to a lifestyle of worship: doing everything as if we are doing it for Jesus. With a vision of faith and an increase in our stewardship pledges, we can be sure that the services and missions of our congregation will continue to grow in our community for years to come. Our hope is that every one of our flock will prayerfully consider their personal stewardship and allow it to reflect the many blessings and gifts God has bestowed. Imagine what a wonderful mission outreach and ministry service we can accomplish if we meet and surpass our budgeted goals! Our church home is just like any household. We follow a careful budget in order to meet our expenses and keep our home functioning. We look at our expected monthly income and pay our monthly bills. What comes in needs to cover what goes out sounds simple. Not always simple for our church budget because we cannot always predict what our income will be. That is why the idea of pledging is so important. It helps our Church Council determine a realistic budget for operations. Please help us by completing your pledge card. Please be generous and loving in your giving so we may continue the wonderful services we provide to our church community We all count on one another to keep Mayflower strong. Letters and pledge cards were mailed to everyone for whom the church office had an address. If you have not received a card, they are available from the office. Commitment Sunday is February 11 th when you may include your pledge with your offering in the collection plate; or you can mail your pledge card back to the church in the return envelope provided. Thank you for all you do to support the life and ministry of Mayflower!

4 February will be a busy month at the church. We kick off with the fifth annual garage sale. This is a wonderful event for the church that invites the community into our space. Even though most people are here for a bargain, one never knows when a seed is planted in an individual. One or more of us may be planting a seed and not even know it. If you have never attended the event please do so and help out if you are able. The following week is Mardi Gras Sunday when we will celebrate the culmination of the season of Mardi Gras and we get ready for Ash Wednesday and Lent. There will be added musicians that day to help us celebrate. Word is there will be beads and not so Blue Zones King Cake on the refreshment tables. That same day we also celebrate Giving Sunday when we commit to God our tithes and talents so Mayflower Church may continue to thrive and be beacon of light and hope in Naples and beyond. You have already heard testimonies from two church members, received a letter from the Church Council and will hear from our Treasurer. It is up to each one of us to commit a percentage of what God has blessed us with in order for this church to accurately prepare a budget and to continue the great ministry and work we do with God s guidance and direction. After the celebration we begin the Lenten Season on Ash Wednesday evening with a service at 7:00 pm. This Lenten season sermon series will be on the seven deadly sins. Six Sundays and seven sins, we ll double up on one of them. Here s the list: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed and Sloth. What fun! What do you know about the Book of Daniel? The Study of the book begins on Feb. 15 th There s still time for you to slip in and attend. The study guides have been ordered. Don t wait too long! Want to help spruce up the church for Easter on April 1? A call has gone out to form a team of folks to come up with a plan of what needs to be cleaned, straightened out or (dare I say) discarded. The goal is to make our church home ready for Easter guests, friends and family. If interested, please contact Bonnie Bennett. Personally, in the month of February I will represent the United Church of Christ in Florida at the annual meeting of Florida Emergency Preparedness Association and also attend the quarterly meeting of the Florida Conference Board of Directors. All those things plus the ordinary everyday comings and goings will keep us all busy, but we should not neglect our prayer, meditation and Bible reading time, the time we need to nourish our spiritual and emotional health. That is a constant and, regardless how busy we may find ourselves, self-care is vital to our well-being. I knew this for a long time but learned a valuable lesson about self-care in my time in New Orleans. That will be a story for another day. Blessings, Pastor Alan February 6 th Forever Island by Patrick D. Smith The story of Charlie Jumper, an old Seminole Indian, who lives a simple life in a primitive chickee on the edge of the Everglades. He clings to the ancient ways and teaches them to his grandson. When their simple swamp existence is threatened by development, Charlie decides to fight back. Meeting at Janice Cressman s home. Call Shirley Smith ( ) or Lou D Amico ( ) with questions.

5 10 BIBLICAL WAYS TO LOVE 1. Listen without interrupting. To answer before listening that is folly and shame. (Proverbs 18:13) 2. Speak without accusing. Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19) 3. Give without selfishness. The righteous give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:26) 4. Pray without ceasing. We have not stopped praying for you. (Colossians 1:9) 5. Answer without arguing. Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. (Proverbs 17:1) 6. Share without pretending. Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:15) 7. Enjoy without complaining. Do everything without grumbling or arguing. (Philippians 2:14) 8. Trust without wavering. [Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:7) 9. Forgive without punishing. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13) 10. Promise without forgetting. A longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12) Tuesday, March 13, 2018 Mayflower s first Safe Driving class was so popular that we will be hosting a second AARP Safe Driving Class. On Tuesday, March 13 from 9:30-3:30 with a half an hour for a bag lunch, you will be involved in their well-known safe driving class. This makes you eligible for a 15% discount on your automobile insurance. This will apply to car insurance in all states. In New York State, you should check first with your insurance company, but in all other 49 states it is an automatic credit. The cost of the class is $15.00 for AARP members and $20.00 for non-members, payable by check at the beginning of class. AARP members need to bring their AARP membership card or number and everyone will need to bring their driver s license. Mayflower is not handling registration. You must call to register. Bring a bag lunch; coffee and iced tea will be provided. We ll plan on seeing you on March 13 at 9:30 sharp! One of the church banquet tables has gone missing. Please let the church office know if you have borrowed a table and when we may expect its return.

6 African- American History Month SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 GARAGE SALE SET-UP 10-4 Don Johnston s 2 GARAGE SALE SET-UP 10-4 National Wear Red Day 3 GARAGE SALE SOUP AND BREAD SALE Curt Berggren s 11 9:00 Heavenly Hookers 10:00 Scrip Gift Card Order 6:00 Alcoholics 9:00 Heavenly Hookers 6:00 Alcoholics Clarice Camp s :00 Book Club Ellen Davis :00 Naples Doll Club 5:00 Villas at Greenwood HOA Joy Nelson s Ann Coldiron s 14 1:00 Care Pastors 7:00 Karin & Kurt Blumenthal s Anniversary :00 Daniel Bible Study 5:30 Drinking Water is Life at Emmanuel Lutheran :00 Women s Fellowship Cyndi Fitton s First Sunday in Lent 25 Second Sunday in Lent Joe Cooper s 19 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 9:00 Heavenly Hookers 6:00 Alcoholics Bob Davis 26 9:00 AARP Safe Driving Class :00 Masthead Deadline 11:00 Naples Doll Club 3:00 Church Council :00 Daniel Bible Study 23 24